diff --git a/res/css/views/rooms/_JumpToBottomButton.scss b/res/css/views/rooms/_JumpToBottomButton.scss
index 6cb3b6bce9e..a8dc2ce11cd 100644
--- a/res/css/views/rooms/_JumpToBottomButton.scss
+++ b/res/css/views/rooms/_JumpToBottomButton.scss
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 .mx_JumpToBottomButton_scrollDown {
     position: relative;
+    display: block;
     height: 38px;
     border-radius: 19px;
     box-sizing: border-box;
diff --git a/src/components/structures/MessagePanel.js b/src/components/structures/MessagePanel.js
index d1071a9e191..53a6d4d92bc 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/MessagePanel.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/MessagePanel.js
@@ -121,6 +121,9 @@ export default class MessagePanel extends React.Component {
         // callback which is called when the panel is scrolled.
         onScroll: PropTypes.func,
 
+        // callback which is called when the user interacts with the room timeline
+        onUserScroll: PropTypes.func,
+
         // callback which is called when more content is needed.
         onFillRequest: PropTypes.func,
 
@@ -885,6 +888,7 @@ export default class MessagePanel extends React.Component {
                     ref={this._scrollPanel}
                     className={className}
                     onScroll={this.props.onScroll}
+                    onUserScroll={this.props.onUserScroll}
                     onResize={this.onResize}
                     onFillRequest={this.props.onFillRequest}
                     onUnfillRequest={this.props.onUnfillRequest}
diff --git a/src/components/structures/RoomView.tsx b/src/components/structures/RoomView.tsx
index bed54cc8df5..2dca8feea08 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/RoomView.tsx
+++ b/src/components/structures/RoomView.tsx
@@ -642,6 +642,17 @@ export default class RoomView extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
         SettingsStore.unwatchSetting(this.layoutWatcherRef);
     }
 
+    private onUserScroll = () => {
+        if (this.state.initialEventId && this.state.isInitialEventHighlighted) {
+            dis.dispatch({
+                action: 'view_room',
+                room_id: this.state.room.roomId,
+                event_id: this.state.initialEventId,
+                highlighted: false,
+            });
+        }
+    }
+
     private onLayoutChange = () => {
         this.setState({
             layout: SettingsStore.getValue("layout"),
@@ -1513,8 +1524,10 @@ export default class RoomView extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
 
     // jump down to the bottom of this room, where new events are arriving
     private jumpToLiveTimeline = () => {
-        this.messagePanel.jumpToLiveTimeline();
-        dis.fire(Action.FocusComposer);
+        dis.dispatch({
+            action: 'view_room',
+            room_id: this.state.room.roomId,
+        });
     };
 
     // jump up to wherever our read marker is
@@ -1985,6 +1998,7 @@ export default class RoomView extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
                 eventId={this.state.initialEventId}
                 eventPixelOffset={this.state.initialEventPixelOffset}
                 onScroll={this.onMessageListScroll}
+                onUserScroll={this.onUserScroll}
                 onReadMarkerUpdated={this.updateTopUnreadMessagesBar}
                 showUrlPreview = {this.state.showUrlPreview}
                 className={messagePanelClassNames}
@@ -2011,6 +2025,7 @@ export default class RoomView extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
                 highlight={this.state.room.getUnreadNotificationCount('highlight') > 0}
                 numUnreadMessages={this.state.numUnreadMessages}
                 onScrollToBottomClick={this.jumpToLiveTimeline}
+                roomId={this.state.roomId}
             />);
         }
 
diff --git a/src/components/structures/ScrollPanel.js b/src/components/structures/ScrollPanel.js
index 5c5062633d8..f6e1530537f 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/ScrollPanel.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/ScrollPanel.js
@@ -133,6 +133,10 @@ export default class ScrollPanel extends React.Component {
          */
         onScroll: PropTypes.func,
 
+        /* onUserScroll: callback which is called when the user interacts with the room timeline
+         */
+        onUserScroll: PropTypes.func,
+
         /* className: classnames to add to the top-level div
          */
         className: PropTypes.string,
@@ -535,21 +539,29 @@ export default class ScrollPanel extends React.Component {
      * @param {object} ev the keyboard event
      */
     handleScrollKey = ev => {
+        let isScrolling = false;
         const roomAction = getKeyBindingsManager().getRoomAction(ev);
         switch (roomAction) {
             case RoomAction.ScrollUp:
                 this.scrollRelative(-1);
+                isScrolling = true;
                 break;
             case RoomAction.RoomScrollDown:
                 this.scrollRelative(1);
+                isScrolling = true;
                 break;
             case RoomAction.JumpToFirstMessage:
                 this.scrollToTop();
+                isScrolling = true;
                 break;
             case RoomAction.JumpToLatestMessage:
                 this.scrollToBottom();
+                isScrolling = true;
                 break;
         }
+        if (isScrolling && this.props.onUserScroll) {
+            this.props.onUserScroll(ev);
+        }
     };
 
     /* Scroll the panel to bring the DOM node with the scroll token
@@ -888,9 +900,8 @@ export default class ScrollPanel extends React.Component {
             <AutoHideScrollbar
                 wrappedRef={this._collectScroll}
                 onScroll={this.onScroll}
-                className={`mx_ScrollPanel ${this.props.className}`}
-                style={this.props.style}
-            >
+                onWheel={this.props.onUserScroll}
+                className={`mx_ScrollPanel ${this.props.className}`} style={this.props.style}>
                 { this.props.fixedChildren }
                 <div className="mx_RoomView_messageListWrapper">
                     <ol ref={this._itemlist} className="mx_RoomView_MessageList" aria-live="polite" role="list">
diff --git a/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.js b/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.js
index af20c31cb2a..c8261995339 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.js
@@ -94,6 +94,9 @@ class TimelinePanel extends React.Component {
         // callback which is called when the panel is scrolled.
         onScroll: PropTypes.func,
 
+        // callback which is called when the user interacts with the room timeline
+        onUserScroll: PropTypes.func,
+
         // callback which is called when the read-up-to mark is updated.
         onReadMarkerUpdated: PropTypes.func,
 
@@ -258,7 +261,9 @@ class TimelinePanel extends React.Component {
             console.warn("Replacing timelineSet on a TimelinePanel - confusion may ensue");
         }
 
-        if (newProps.eventId != this.props.eventId) {
+        const differentEventId = newProps.eventId != this.props.eventId;
+        const differentHighlightedEventId = newProps.highlightedEventId != this.props.highlightedEventId;
+        if (differentEventId || differentHighlightedEventId) {
             console.log("TimelinePanel switching to eventId " + newProps.eventId +
                         " (was " + this.props.eventId + ")");
             return this._initTimeline(newProps);
@@ -1456,6 +1461,7 @@ class TimelinePanel extends React.Component {
                 ourUserId={MatrixClientPeg.get().credentials.userId}
                 stickyBottom={stickyBottom}
                 onScroll={this.onMessageListScroll}
+                onUserScroll={this.props.onUserScroll}
                 onFillRequest={this.onMessageListFillRequest}
                 onUnfillRequest={this.onMessageListUnfillRequest}
                 isTwelveHour={this.state.isTwelveHour}